Toolholder



Nov. 7, 1950 R. BURNS 2,529,372

TOOLHOLDER Filed May 27, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

C Arroiwvi 7 Patented Nov. 7, 1950 12,529,372 f f 'rooi noLnnn' RobertBurns, Barksdale Field, La. ApplicationMay 27, 1946, S-e 'rialNo.672,664

(o1.211-s9) I I .4 Claims.

' My invention relates to tool holders generally, but more particularlyto a tool holder adapted to be placed within the glove compartment of anautomobile or the like.

In devices disclosed by the prior art various means of holding tools areshown, but it will be noted that they are usuallyplaced in a box, rack,or the like, in the rear of the vehicle, or hung upon some support inthe room, as the case may be. It is well known that the rear accessorycompartment of the average persons automobile, and especially the toolkit, which is usually placed therein, is seldom kept in orderly fashionor in a manner where commonly used tools may be readily found andremoved for use.

It is also known that the usual method of storing tools, whether in akit or box, allows the tools to vibrate or rattle by coming in contactwith one another, if kept in a moving vehicle, causing great annoyanceto the occupants of the vehicle.

. A further disadvantage found in the ordinary tool kit is that thesmall, commonly used tools are usually placed together with the largerones that are seldom used. Thus, it becomes necessary, even whendesiring to use such a tool as a screwdriver, to either handle, removeor replace many other large or heavy tools before finding or being ableto remove the tool desired.

Since the usual work done to an automobile is not of a major nature, butminor repairs and the like, I have found my invention greatlyadvantageous by being capable of holding within easy reach, and inorderly fashion, only. those tools that I might ordinarily use formaking-minor adjustments to an automobile or the like.

The general purpose of my invention is to provide a small tool holdingdevice, capable of being mounted in the glove compartment of anautomobile, a cabinet or the like, which will hold within easy,accessible reach of the user, such commonly used tools as pliers,screwdriver, air gauge, wrenches or any such small toolsthat areconstantly required by the user; and where it is desired to have themreadily accessible at any time.

It is another object of my invention to provide a tool holder which issubstantially adjustable for holding various sizes of tools of thecharacter described.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device forholding tools with a firm, but releasabl grip, in a compact manner, yetheld sufficiently apart from one another to prevent rattling whenmounted on a moving vehicle.

My invention comprises mainly, loops formed of rubber tubing lengths,the ends of which tubing mounted upon a supporting plate. The tubinglengths are preferably formed into spaced pairs 'of upstanding loopsintermediate their fastened ends.

Further objects and advantages will be seen in the following detaileddescription, when viewed together with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of a tool holder embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view partly broken of the too holder illustrated inFigure 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the tool holder showing the devicebefore the insertion of tools therein.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be seen that I provide abase member H) which,

in its preferred form, is made of sheet metal, wood or some plasticmaterial such as bakelite; its length and breadth being governed by theshape and size of the tools to be mounted thereon.

Attached to the back side of the base member I0 I have provided suitablemounting spring hooks l I and anchoring pins I2, which adapts the basemember ill to be removably attached to a perforated wall such as thecompartment wall'of an automobile as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.Projecting outwardly at right angles to thebase member Ill are fourstuds I3, l4, l5, and N5 of suitable length and attached to the basemember ill by means of lock nuts. In Fig. 1 the spacing of the studs isshown in the preferred form, the distance along the length of the basebetween studs being, for instance,

slightly less than the length of the shank portionof the usersscrewdrivers.

Also, as shown in Fig. 1, the spacing between the studs taken along theheight portion of the base It], is'shown as preferred, being made toconform to the users pliers P, the distance between studs 13 and [4being substantially greater than the distance measured across the noseportion of the users pliers P, and the distance between studs I5 and I6being substantially greater than the distance measured across the handleportion of the users pliers P.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I have provided, as shown, a length of rubbertubing ll, one open end of which is adapted to fit snugly over the topportion of the upper stud l3, from whence it projects outwardly andreturns substantially parallel to the shank portion of the stud l3through a choke ring l8 thus forming a loop IQ of any required sizesufliciently large enough to asaaa'm ing a wrench W or the like; thresiliency of the rubber tubing being depended upon to hold this tool ina firm but releasable manner against the base member Ill. The tubinglength I! is extended further through another choke ring l8 where it isextended parallel to the stud I4 and thereafter formed into another loopIS with its open end fitting snugly -;over the lower stud I4, and :intowhich second loop 19 another tool might be placed, such as the gauge Gshown in Figure 1'. Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be seen that asimilar construction is presented on the opposite end of the base memberH where another length of rubber tubing 1 l is connected to theprojecting studs l5 and IS in the aforementioned manner to formotherloops [9 and another strap member H for holding the wrench W or someother tool.

As will be further noted from the drawings and description of myinvention, it is possible to insert or withdraw any tool from my toolholder without interfering with the other tools that it contains.

It will be noted also that, by adjusting the slidable choke rings l8mounted on the various studs,

either up or down along the length of the stud, an appreciable variationmay be obtained in the size and area of the various loops I9 and thestraps -2| formed by the manner in which I have bent the length ofrubber tubing H, to accommodate various sizes of tools.

I purposely space the loops l9 close enough together in pairs to utilizethem as yieldable fingerlike members adapted to hold an additional toolin-the pinching manner in which they are shown holding the pliers P invFig. l of the drawing. The pair of loops l9 perform this pinchingholding operation without interfering in any way with the abovedescribed manners of holding a toolthefirst manner being the yieldingofthe side of theloop to accommodate a toolthe second function-being thestretching of the tube to accommodate a tool. I

While I have described my invention in detail in its preferred form, itis not intended that it shall be limited either to the materials statedor be confined to use in an automobile, but may be used to advantageanywhere a compact, anti-rattling, resilient tool holder is desired.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A tool holder of the class described comprising a base plate adaptedto be attached to a wall surface, a pair of spaced lengths of elastictubing each of which is attached to said base plate at opposite ends,portions of said lengths of tubing being formed into loops andadjustable choke rings embracing doubled portions of said lengths oftubing, said choke rings being made small enough to yieldingly clampportions of said lengths of tubing on other portions of said tubing,

whereby the lengths of said loops may be adjusted to cooperate inholding a tool."

2. A tool holder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said loops are positionedto lie in spaced sub stantially parallel planes whereby one of saidloops is adapted to receive a tool extended through a loop at theopposite end of the plate.

3. A tool holder of the class described comprising a base plate adaptedto be attached to a wall surface, a length of elastic tubing attached tosaid plate at both of its ends, said ends being attached to said baseplate in spaced relationship, .in a manner to extend said length ofelastic tubing outwardly from said baseplate, said.ela s-.

tic tubing having portions of its length formed into a pair of spacedcollapsedloops connected by an integral portion of said elastic tubingconstituting a flexible strap, said loops being formed.

in said length of elastic tubing by means of a pair of choke ringsforced over doubled portions of saidlength of'elastic tubing, saidlength of elastic tubing being slidably mounted in said choke ringswhereby the length of said loops and said second mentioned length ofelastic tubing in a manner to divide the same into a second pair ofloops and a flexible strap positioned substantially parallel to saidfirst mentioned loops and said first mentioned strap, whereby saidsecond mentioned loops and said second mentioned strap may cooperatewith said first mentioned loops and said first mentioned strap inholding tools.

ROBERT BURNS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 254,692 Bath Mar. -'7, 1882407,524 Hall July 23, 18.89

1,196,087 orume r Aug. 29, 1916 1,311,450 .Laraway July 29, 19191,927,110. Bannister et a1 Sept. 19, 1933 Karst Aug. 18, 1936

